Thailand Live Friday 25 Feb 2011

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Thailand Live Friday 25 February 2011

News, Bits and Tweets

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Keep up to date with live updates from the news, hour by hour.

For breaking news,national, regional and international news updates on a daily basis only, this thread is closed to commentary sothat those who wish to follow the

news can find it here...

Commentary is still open for Thailand news in the relevant thread posted in News Clippings.

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Related topic: Thailand Live Thursday 24 Feb 2011

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Government insisted 15 years of free education program is effective

BANGKOK (NNT) -- The government is confident its project on 15 years of quality free education is effective as it will encourage school enrolments and increase education level for Thai students.

In a parliament debate earlier today, the Opposition claimed that the education scheme is not good enough while also blaming the government’s inability to boost the economy. Education Minister Chinnaworn Bunyakiat said in response that the education is the key to the economic growth and by offering free enrolments; every Thai student will have equal access to education.

Based on the survey, the Education Minister claimed 98% of Thai people are in favor of the scheme. He added that traditional knowledge and way of life will be included in the curriculum. Children of the minorities as well as kids with disabilities will not miss out on the free education.

-- NNT 2011-02-25

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Govt to Open Evacuation Center in Libya

The government is preparing to set up an evacuation center in Libya to facilitate the transfer of Thai laborers out of the areas possibly affected by ongoing riots.

Foreign Minister's Secretary Chawanont Indharakomarnsut said the Foreign and Labor Ministries will set up a temporary evacuation center in the southern part of Libya to relocate Thais out of the areas at risk of violence.

Chawanont said medical professionals and other staffs will be dispatched to the center to serve the needs of the evacuated Thais.

He said the Thai embassy in Italy has already prepared a vessel with the capacity to carry 2,000 passengers at a Rome seaport for the evacuation of Thais from Libya.

Chawanont said the initial evacuation will bring out 4,000 Thais.

Some 2,000 will be shipped to Tunisia and the rest to Rome before all of them are transferred back to Thailand via charter flights provided by the government.

Labor Ministry Spokesman Sutham Nateeethong said his ministry's staff will be sent to Tunisia tonight to handle the evacuation of Thais from Libya.

Sutham said the top priority of the authorities is to make sure all 23,000 Thais living in Libya are safe rather than trying to evacuate everyone.

Meanwhile, Chawanont stated the Foreign Ministry is coordinating with the National Police office to send its identity verification experts to New Zealand to help in the search for the six Thais missing in Christchurch after Tuesday's earthquake.

-- Tan Network 2011-02-25

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AFP: Thai PM Abhisit says he may be British

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AFP: Thai police free women from illegal baby farm in Bangkok

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Arrested German national Lars Scheffczik denies involvement in one million Euros internet scam: Phuket

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Released Red Shirt leader Kwanchai to contest election as Pheu Thai party-list candidate

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HIV up among Phuket ladyboys

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PREGNANCY SCAM

Police bust Taiwanese gang for 'ensnaring' 13 women

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Red Shirt leader Natthawut: 'We will never accept a coup'

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Thailand diesel subsidy raised to Bt4 per litre

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AFTER WEBSITE REPORTS ONE AS SAFE

Confusion over fate of missing Thais in Christchurch

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10,000 Thai workers to be evacuated from Libya

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Paradorn and wife Natalie part ways

By THE NATION

He ruled the tennis court, and she reigned over beauty queens. Yet, even for a perfect match, it's "game over".

Last night, Chanachai Srichaphan, father of the former tennis star Paradorn, said that his son and wife Natalie Glebova - former Miss Universe - were still living together, but "not as husband and wife".

The couple got married in September 2007.

Chanachai shrugged off all speculation about the reasons, saying it was a private matter and that they had made the decision as grown-ups.

"They will probably keep running their businesses together, but will be separated," he explained.

It is still not confirmed if the star couple have already signed divorce papers. However, another source from Paradorn's family insisted that there was no bitterness, and that the marriage had ended due to "different lifestyles".

"They are still good friends," said the source, who admitted to having given advice to Paradorn over the past three or four months. Still, the source insisted that the couple had agreed to separate without it having any legal ramifications on their assets. The source also denied that "flirtations" were behind the break-up, though people in the motor-racing circuit think otherwise.

When Paradorn's career was interrupted by a wrist injury in 2007, he turned his attention to motorbike racing and was often spotted in the company of different girls, many of them university students.

From time to time, whispers were heard about the Paradorn-Natalie partnership being on shaky ground, but they always stood strong in denying the gossip. But it certainly looked like they were living separately and they have rarely been seen in public together recently.

The two have promised to speak to the press soon.

-- The Nation 2011-02-25

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Natthawut to contest election as Pheu Thai candidate

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Students cry foul over loan scheme

By The Nation

A Justice Ministry investigation is underway into complaints from students who say they were unwittingly signed up to loan schemes to study at Institute of Technology Ayothaya (ITA).

The students, mostly from the deep South, have lodged a joint complaint after finding out they were unknowingly enrolled into the Ayutthayabased institute. Others applied to take advantage of a promise of free study, which was to be subsidised by the student loan, two or three years ago.

The complaint was lodged on behalf of 60 students who were affected after their graduation from grade12 level at schools in Yala, Narathiwat, Pattani and parts of Songkhla.

Wichai Suwannaprasert, head of the Centre for Helping Unfairly Treated Debtors, said many students did not earn degrees and many courses were never offered as advertised by the ITA.

Complaints can be lodged with the centre by calling 1102, extension 1033.

Noorraikham Muangthongkaew, 33, said she received a Krung Thai Bank (KTB) notice claiming she owed it Bt80,000 after taking a loan she never applied for. She said she filled out an application form but never signed it and never took a course.

"The ITA rector promised to look into my personal complaint three years ago, but no progress was made and now I owe Bt80,000 to KTB," she said.

Nateeyah Tamae, 23, said she was promised free study at ITA made possible by a student loan subsidy scheme before she applied for a nursing degree in 2007. She later found out the Faculty of Nursing had not been opened and ITA staff instead put her in the Faculty of Business Administration, claiming she first needed to take common subjects to earn compulsory credits.

She said Bt2,000 had been wired to her account each month during the threeyear period and ITA recently asked her to pay tutorial fees. They later explained to her in a meeting that free courses were never offered at ITA, as advertised to her and her friends. She subsequently decided to quit the course and lodge the complaint.

-- The Nation 2011-02-25

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Land poor back on the streets of Bangkok

By Thanapat Kitjakosol

The Nation

The familiar sight a decade ago of poor farmers camping on the capital's streets to demand assistance has returned, adding to the discomfort of motorists already aggrieved by traffic in their daily lives.

But this ongoing rally is for a good cause.

It has been organised by a network of farmers, in cooperation with the People's Movement for Fair Society (PMove), mobilising around 300 landless farmers from across the country to demand speedy issuance of landownership documents for plots whose concessions with private companies have expired.

Preecha and Nukool Sonrin, a couple based in Surat Thani, said they were sleeping on the streets to acquire just 15 rai for farming. Companies have bought up large areas that are not being used.

Under a scheme pushed for by farmers and activists, this land should be made briefly nontransferable before being distributed freely, or at low rent, to landless farmers. This would prevent it from being resold. The scheme, according to activists, should be operated through a special type of land ownership known as a community title deed.

Daeng Bansaen, an Ubon Ratchathani native, said the title deeds would earn her children and grandchildren permanent rights to farm and raise cattle.

She and people living in 100 communities now have to pay rent for land they had acquired in 1954 but was now owned by a local administrative body after a lease to private firms had expired. She said they should have been returned to the original owners.

PMove yesterday issued a 10point statement asking the Agriculture Ministry to take concrete action to comply with the farmers' demands, rather than just paying lip service.

The demands include immediate issuance of ownership documents for land in Surat Thani, Phuket and Ubon Ratchathani.

-- The Nation 2011-02-25

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Phuket utility lines may no longer be visible

By The Nation

Electricity and telephone mains in Phuket will most likely run underground once construction of the new main thoroughfare begins, now that the Patong municipality has approved the budget for its feasibility survey.

The Bt250million project should be completed by 2013, and the power and telephone lines moved underground at the same time. The feasibility study, which will cost Bt8 million, should take around eight months to complete.

The road project, called Route A, will run along Patong beach and connect nearby tourist areas. It is expected to boost tourism revenue and push up the price of land.

If approved, the tunnel for utility lines will require another Bt460 million.

-- The Nation 2011-02-25

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Dept offers Blackberrys for bureacrats

By Wattana Khamchu

The Nation

On April 1, the Interior Ministry's Provincial Administration Department will hand out Blackberry phones to all district chiefs nationwide in order to expand the communication channel.

The department deputy directorgeneral Boonsong Techamaneesathit insisted the department didn't buy the phones but got them from an AIS promotion which offered free phones with each oneyear usage contract.

His comment was made yesterday while discussing the exam for officials applying for highlevel administrative jobs; 20 job positions at the ministry's permanent secretary's office and 99 positions at the department.

Boonsong said 800 officials qualified for the exam requiring each candidate to submit a fourpage report on their vision and past work achievements, part of a process that would take two months. The result would be announced on May 6. He added that this year was special because all departments under the ministry could nominate candidates for the job.

-- The Nation 2011-02-25

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PAD calls for end to security measures

By The Nation

The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) yesterday petitioned the Civil Court to revoke the security measures in Bangkok because the Internal Security Act (ISA) had been wrongly enforced.

The PAD also asked the court to hold an emergency hearing and issue an injunction suspending the security enforcement during the judicial review.

In its petition, the PAD contended it was leading a peaceful protest to oppose the government's handling of the Thai-Cambodian border dispute.

It argues the government has wrongfully invoked the ISA because the protest has no bearing on national security.

The court has yet to rule on whether to launch the judicial review.

-- The Nation 2011-02-25

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Lese majeste dominates debate on govt's performance

By Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation

The parliamentary debate on the government's second-year performance report was dominated by nearly four hours of argument about whether the government had done enough to protect the monarchy, especially in the case of one particular WikiLeaks' cable.

Both sides ended up accusing each other of being disloyal to the throne.

Pheu Thai MP Jatuporn Promphan alleged the Abhisit Vejjajiva administration had done nothing to prosecute senior citizens, including two members of the Privy Council, who were quoted in the controversial WikiLeak.

Jatuporn told the Lower House yesterday that Abhisit kept quiet after receiving a complaint about it from some red shirts. "I have thus made a complaint to the Crime Suppression Division to arrest Abhisit for neglecting his duty."

Jatuporn also accused the government of not doing anything to block the website of the London-based newspaper The Guardian, claiming "millions" read the cable in its online report.

The MP and red-shirt leader went on to say that instead of having one of the three people arrested, Abhisit went to ask for a "blessing" from him.

"You appear as if you are leading a crackdown against those defaming the institution but in the end, those who violate it are people on your side," he said. "Or is it that your people can defame [the monarchy] while others can't?"

Abhisit insisted he had forwarded the case to the police the day after he received the complaint, saying it was the duty of the police and prosecutors to decide what to do next.

"But who protested that their rights of expression had been violated when their websites [alleged to defame the monarchy institution] were shut down," Abhisit said.

In response to Jatuporn's attack, Abhisit said he went to see Prem Tinsulanonda because he was still the Privy Council president and only HM The King could relieve him of the position, adding that "a number of people" around Jatuporn fell into the anti-monarchist category.

Abhisit said the leaked cable claimed the three people made the comments but this didn't constitute solid proof that they had really said the words. The US government had also refused to confirm the authenticity of the leaked cables, he said.

Defending the government, Justice Minister Peeraphan Saleeratwipak said 17 lese majeste cases were in the pipeline and three new arrest warrants had been issued. "For all of us, the monarchy institution is more important than national security," he said.

Other issues raised in the debate included the rising cost of living and corruption. Government MPs said the prices of major economic crops were higher than expected, bringing more income to farmers.

Opposition Pheu Thai MP Chalerm Yoobamrung said that aside from setting up funds for the elderly and disabled people, the government had been a failure.

Chalerm said many organisations regarded the government as the most corrupt in recent memory.

"I can attest that Abhisit is not corrupt but what about the behaviour of the people surrounding him?" asked Chalerm.

The charge was denied by a number of Democrat MPs, with some suggesting that Thaksin Shinawatra's administration was more corrupt.

-- The Nation 2011-02-25

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Quake shakes North

By The Nation

A 5.4-magnitude earthquake, centred in Laos, was felt in parts of Northern and Northeastern Thailand yesterday, causing panic and cracked walls at Phra That Chae Haeng temple in Nan province, officials said.

The tremor, which happened at 22.53pm on Wednesday, was felt in Phrae, Nan, Loei, Udon Thani, Nong Khai and Nong Bua Lamphu.

Local authorities assessed the damage yesterday but there have so far been no reports of damage except at Phra That Chae Haeng temple, where three two-meter cracks appeared in the 658-year-old hall's wall.

The quake also caused the alarm system at the 26-million-cubic-meter Upper Huai Nam Man Reservoir in Loei's Muang district to sound, causing panic among locals who thought the reservoir was going to burst its banks. They stayed up all Wednesday night guarding their villages in case of emergency.

-- The Nation 2011-02-25

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BURNING ISSUE

Abhisit's dual citizenship issue much ado about nothing

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Bail for eighth red shirt approved

By The Nation

The Criminal Court yesterday approved the temporary release of red-shirt supporter Somchai Paiboon, who faces terrorism charges in connection with last year's riots. The bail was set at Bt100,000.

Somchai's release came in the wake of Tuesday's bail for seven red-shirt leaders and one supporter of the movement. The approval was based on the link his case has with the other seven.

Somchai was a councillor at Bangkok's Bang Bon district before he joined the red-shirt movement.

-- The Nation 2011-02-25

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New agency to provide land to farmers

By The Nation

A new institute meant to provide land to landless farmers through soft loans was officially established yesterday, right after the executive decree proposing it was approved.

The socalled Land Bank Administration Institute (Labai), which will be run as a public organisation, will provide stateowned land to 30,000 households in the first three years under a Bt4.75 billion budget.

The land plots include those acquired or repossessed by the Thai Asset Management Corporation, and the ones initially available are in Chiang Mai and Lamphun.

In the first five years, Labai will slowly be transformed into a fully legal entity with more authority to be granted under two other executive decrees, which are currently being considered. Labai will operate as an auxiliary agency that supports existing bodies such as the Land Reform Commission, the Land Department and the Cooperative Promotion Department.

The government committee chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Trairong Suwankhiri that approved the establishment of Labai, also approved the recruitment of 400 members of staff at the Social Security Office in order to accommodate the estimated 2.4 million additional beneficiaries.

-- The Nation 2011-02-25

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Corus Sells Steel Products Unit To Thai Firm

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Artificial reefs sunk off Phuket’s west coast

The cubes, weighing a ton each, are being placed in clusters of 80 to 100.

The project aims to sink 1,630 cubes by sunset on Monday.

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Toyota recalled 2.3 million vehicles - Lexus, Highlander, 4Runner and RAV4 in US and Canada to fix floor mat and carpet defects that could jam accelerator /MCOT

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Thai stock index opens on Friday at 981.96, up 4.74 points /MCOT